Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra has refused to apologise for his 'traitor parody' targeting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. In his first response to the controversy, Kamra defended his comments, stating that he merely echoed words that were previously used by Ajit Pawar to describe Shinde.

“I will not apologise. What I said is exactly what Mr. Ajit Pawar (1st deputy CM) said about Mr. Eknath Shinde (2nd Deputy CM). I don't fear this mob & I will not be hiding under my bed, waiting for this to die down,” he said in a post on X. 

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Upholding his right to freedom of expression, Kamra emphasised that making jokes about leaders was not unlawful. 

“Our right to freedom of speech and expression is not only to be used to fawn over the powerful and rich even though today's media would have us believe otherwise. Your inability to take a joke at the expense of a powerful public figure does not change the nature of my right. As far as I know, it is not against the law to poke fun at our leaders and the circus that is our political system,” he said.

He also condemned the mob vandalism at Habitat, the venue where he made the ‘controversial’ remarks, asserting that the incident had no bearing on his words. 

“An entertainment venue is merely a platform. A space for all sorts of shows. Habitat (or any other venue) is not responsible for my comedy, nor does it have any power or control over what I say or do. Neither does any political party. Attacking a venue for a comedian's words is as senseless as overturning a lorry carrying tomatoes, because you didn't like the butter chicken you were served,” he said. 

Kamra, however, expressed his willingness to cooperate fully with both the police and the courts if legal action is taken against him. He also raised concerns about whether the law would be applied equally to those responsible for the alleged vandalism of Habitat.

However, I am willing to co-operate with the police and courts for any lawful action taken against me. But will the law be fairly and equally deployed against those who have decided that vandalism is the appropriate response to being offended by a joke? And against the unelected members of the BMC, who have arrived today at Habitat, without prior notice, and tore the place down with hammers? Perhaps for my next venue, I will opt for Elphinstone bridge, or any other structure in Mumbai that's in need of speedy demolition.

Kamra’s reaction came after his clip, mocking Shinde for his 2022 rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government in Maharashtra, went viral on social media.  

Massive protests were held by Shiv Sena workers and a case was registered against Kamra.

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The protests escalated when party workers vandalised Habitat Club, the venue where the show was filmed. As a result, 12 individuals were arrested, though they were later granted bail on Monday.